Children's Home run by Berry Gifford Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 1 Registered provider: Berry Gifford LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional needs. At the time of inspection, one child lived at this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home opened on 10 January 2023. There is a suitably experienced registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 3

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improvement to be good

This was the home’s first inspection since registration. Since opening, two children have lived at the home. However, one child has since left as the local authority made alternative care arrangements that were nearer to the child’s family.

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improvement to be good

The home is newly decorated and clean. The child’s bedroom reflects their hobbies and preferences. However, heavy duty door stops and large padlocks to some cupboards give the home an institutional feel. There is also currently a lack of pictures or photographs on the walls.

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improvement to be good

The child has developed positive relationships with the manager and staff. The child said that they trust the staff caring for them. The child has been supported by staff to explore their perceptions of themselves. The child has started to gain confidence and build self-esteem. They are now considering new opportunities available to them.

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improvement to be good

The child does not attend education or training. Staff do not offer educational activities and there is a lack of structure to the child’s day. Staff are starting to introduce options to the child, which include volunteering. However, this cannot replace formal education or training.

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improvement to be good

The child is not yet developing their skills for independent living. Staff do not fully understand the child’s strengths and needs in this area. There is a plan to promote independent living skills. However, this is not yet being implemented.

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improvement to be good

There was a lack of care planning in place when the child first moved in to the home. Although the manager has now updated the child’s relevant plans, there is not yet an effective system to ensure that the child’s plan is understood and being implemented by staff.

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improvement to be good

When there were two children residing at the home, one of the children went missing. Staff took appropriate action and proactively looked for the child. The staff went above and beyond to ensure that the child was safe. Following this, the child left the home and was placed nearer to their family home. The child was able to say goodbye to staff members and have a positive ending to this placement. The child currently living at the home has not had any incidents of going missing.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of physical intervention since the home opened. The child feels listened to. A professional reported that staff have persevered through Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 4 some challenging behaviour. The professional added that they were very pleased with the way that staff have worked with the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff record medication through an online system. There were gaps in recording and no reason was given as to why medication had not been administered. This creates the risk of the manager not having appropriate oversight of the administration of medication.

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improvement to be good

Staff work with family members and the local authority to promote time with family. Staff understand that children can have complex family relationships. The child is supported to maintain attachments with family members who are important to them.

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good

The manager is caring and committed. There is a permanent staff team, who place the well-being of the child at the centre of their practice.

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good

The manager aims to recruit more staff. Two members of agency staff are moving to join the permanent staff team. One agency member of staff reported that they enjoyed working at this home and felt well supported by the manager. The staff team feels valued and motivated to provide quality care to children. Staff are recruited safely.

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good

The manager is reflective of practice. Although this is a new home, they have already learned valuable lessons from the experience of caring for the first two children. The manager has a good understanding of areas for development at the home. The manager has not been in post long enough to drive forward improvements and enhance the quality of care for children, but has plans to do so.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. This is well recorded and focused on the needs of the child. The manager receives regular supervision and feels well supported by the responsible individual.

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good

Permanent staff are working towards an appropriate qualification. An induction plan is in place for both permanent and temporary staff. Training opportunities for staff enable them to better meet the needs of this child. However, not all staff have completed their mandatory training.

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good

The manager has good oversight of the care provided in this home. They review all direct work with children, all incidents, and the child’s care plans. However, the child’s progress is not captured well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 5 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that all the children have a plan that staff can work to, to ensure that children are helped and protected, and their welfare is promoted at all times. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vi)) 29 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 6 This specifically refers to supporting children to learn skills for independence.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education, the child is supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where they identify gaps in qualifications, they act to ensure that relevant units or qualifications are completed in a timely manner at an appropriate level. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 68, paragraph 1.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home maintains a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Berry Gifford Ltd, Unit 2, Mercury Park, Amber Close, Tamworth B77 4RP

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Inspector

Alli Tandy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2695482 8 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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